Winter is almost here! With these beautiful sunny days in the Okanagan, there is an inevitable slowing of activity in our gardens. The vegetation is nearing the end of its lifespan as it prepares itself for freezing temperatures. Whatever be the make and shape of your garden, winter calls for some preparation to ensure your plants come back strong and healthy in the spring. As you shut the gate of your garden, try the following activities:
Clean-up annuals and any diseased plants
You can choose to leave your annuals to rot and add to the nutritional composition of the soil, or you can pull them out now and compost them. Keeping them in might reduce erosion. More so, they can make for excellent homes for overwintering pollinators. If you see anything that might be a carrier for diseases, pests or fungi be sure to pull those out and put them in the garbage, not your composter!
Mulching
For a first-timer, mulching is the technical term for covering the soil. The process involves adding onto soil to enhance the conditions favourable for plant growth, development, and efficient crop production. Adding mulch to your flower beds or around trees in the fall has several benefits. It helps reduce water loss and protects the soil from eroding. Also, it helps reduce the inhibition of weeds. (This is true for summer mulching as well). However, the other unique benefit of winter mulching is the regulation of soil temperature and moisture. Mulch will help your garden bed to conveniently transition and prepare for winter conditions. A thick layer of mulch serves as a buffer against hard frosts. As it breaks down, the mulch adds fresh organic material into your soil.
Compost Harvesting and Regeneration
Check your composter to see if there is any compost ready to use. This rich material helps top up garden beds and fertilize lawns even through the fall. Then your compost bin will be ready in the spring for a new batch. Did you know you can add to your bin chopped autumn leaves? Alternate with kitchen scraps and other active green matter.
Schedule your Fall Clean-up
Give us a call and we will get your property ready for winter! We will remove old plant material and add mulch and compost. Count on Emerald Irrigation & Landscape Construction for a lovely clean look this fall. You can book a free, no-obligation consultation with us via call or email. With our certified team of technicians, you can rest easy your garden will rebound next spring.